Tire protector



M 8, mm; 1,500,849

-W. J. RUDOLPH TIRE PROTECTOR Filed May 26 1922 Patented July 8, i924. M I

UMTED sra'ras aerate PATENT OFFEQE.

WALTER J. RUDOLPH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO IMPERIAL BRASS MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TIRE PROTECTOR.

Application filed May 26, 1922. Serial No. 568,771.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER J. RUDOLPH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tire Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is concerned with tire protectors, and isdesigned to be used to prevent spare tires of automobiles from being stolen b deflating them so that they can be remove from the rings upon which they are usually carried.

To this end, it consists of an elongated ca adapted to be be quickly applied to the in ation valve of a tire sup orted on a. ring and locked in place, pre erably by a pa ock so as to prevent its deflation until the cap has been unlocked and removed.

To illustrate my invention I annex hereto a sheet of drawings in which the same reference characters are used to desi ate identical parts in all the figures, of wh1ch Fig. 1 1s a rear elevation of an automobile showing a spare tire protected by my device;

Fig. 2 is a section through a tire, on an enlarged scale, having my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, but with the protector in section; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 4.--4 and 5-5, of Fig. 3, but on astill larger scale.

I have shown my invention as applied to the ring a supported by the brackets b from the rear of an automobile c, and having the threaded inflation valve d extending through the customary aperture e in the rim (1. Shd upon the valve 0!, which preferably has the two flattened sides f, is t e locking member consisting of the ring 9, the interior of which has its cross-section corresponding to that of the flattened valve d, so that the ring y can he slid freely but not turned upon the valve. The ring p is provided with the extension k, preferab y shaped as shown so that it will fit inside of the rin a, and having the aperture 7' in the end t ereof. The locking cap is preferabl takes the form of a tube closed at one en and secured in the ring or collar Z, which, as seen in Fig. 5, is circular in its internal cross-section, of a diameter slightly greater than that of the threaded inflation valve d, except for two portions m, which are provided with breech threads, which, when turned in register with the flattened portions f permit the cap to he slid in place on the valve. The ring Z is provided with the extension n, of the same shape as the extension k, and like it, provided with the aperture 0 adapted to stand in alinement with the aperture j when the cap is turned, as shown in Fig. 3, in which case, the mutilated threads m engage the threads of the valve (1, and prevent the cap from being removed. With the parts in this position, the shackle of a padlock p, which may be of any desired kind is passed through the apertures 7' and 0, and locked, and then it is impossible to remove the cap until the padlock has been unlocked, removed and the cap k removed by turning it until the mutilated threads m are in register with the flattened portions f of the inflation valve.

While I have shown and described my invention as embodied in the form which I at present consider best adapted to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that I do tion of the following claims, except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to-se- .not desire to be limited inthe interpretacure by Letters Patent of the United States 1s:

1. In a tire protector, the combination with a supporting member through which the inflation valve of atire extends, of a locking member associated with the valve and having an aperture therethrough, a locking cap also provided with an aperture adapted to" be brought adjacent the locking member while covering the valve and to be turned on the valve to bring its aperture into re -rister with that of the locking member an to prevent its removal while so turned, and a padlock adaptedto engage the apertures.

2. In a tlre protector, the combination with a supporting member, of a threaded valve tube having a flattened side adapted to be passed through said supporting member, a locking member having an aperture for the valve tube uponwhich it slides but cannot turn and another aperture, a lockin ca having an aperture with a mutilated t rea portion adapted to he slid the flattened side of the valve tube and to be turned to cause the mutilated thread to engage the threads of'the valve tube and having another aperture brought b the turning into engage the second apertures of said locking member and locking ca In witness whereof have hereunto set 1 my hand this 16th day of Ma 1922.

WALTER J. UDOLPH. In the presence of JOHN HOWARD MoEmor. 

